Welsh First Minister Matthew Rhys Quote At Independence Rally 2026

Key Points

• Rhun ap Iorwerth, the First Minister of Wales, gave a speech at an independent rally held in Aberystwyth on September 26, 2026.
• The rally was organized by YesCymru and All Under One Banner Cymru.
• According to YesCymru, the attendance at the rally ranged from 8,000 to 9,000 people.
• Ap Iorwerth said Wales was making its way to independence and that there is “no turning back”.
• He said Wales should take the next step towards independence by having “equality with Scotland, as a minimum”.
• The First Minister cited Matthew Rhys, a Welsh actor, referring to Wales as a “small and mighty nation”.
• This was the first YesCymru independence march attended by the First Minister of Wales.
• This was also the first Welsh independence march after Plaid Cymru made the Welsh Government through the Senedd election in May 2026.
• Campaigners demanded that Wales be given the right to decide on its constitutionality.
• This was the first rally which featured political figures, campaign leaders, influencers and cultural leaders.

Wales (Wales Times) September 26, 2026 – Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth joined thousands of campaigners at a Welsh independence rally in Aberystwyth, where he called for greater powers for Wales and said the country’s constitutional journey had “no turning back”.

The march was organised jointly by the pro-independence groups YesCymru and All Under One Banner Cymru. It began at uk/local/swansea/castle/">Castle Gardens before passing through the coastal town and returning to the gardens for a public rally.

According to YesCymru, between 8,000 and 9,000 people attended the march. Other reports described thousands of campaigners carrying banners through Aberystwyth before gathering to hear speeches and live music.

The event was significant because it marked the first time that a serving First Minister of Wales had attended a YesCymru march. It was also the first independence march since Plaid Cymru took control of the Welsh Government after the Senedd election in May 2026.

What did Rhun ap Iorwerth say about Welsh independence?

Speaking at the rally, Rhun ap Iorwerth said Wales was moving towards a new constitutional settlement and that the country should seek a closer level of equality with Scotland.

As reported by BBC journalists in its coverage of the event, ap Iorwerth told the crowd that the “next step” for Wales had to be “equality with Scotland, as a minimum”. He also said Wales was on a journey and that there was “no turning back”.

The First Minister said the campaign was not only about a possible future referendum or independence. He also linked the movement to demands for immediate investment and additional powers from Westminster.

According to WalesOnline, ap Iorwerth said: “We are standing up for Wales, pursuing the investment and greater powers we need from Westminster now, so we can make a real difference to people’s lives as the next step in our constitutional journey.”

He also said that supporters believed in Wales’s potential as an independent nation. “Quite simply, we believe in our potential as an independent nation, and we recognise that bringing Wales with us is key,” he told the gathering, according to WalesOnline.

That message placed emphasis on public support and national participation. The First Minister said the movement needed to bring people across Wales with it rather than rely solely on the support of existing independence campaigners.

How did Matthew Rhys feature in the speech?

Rhun ap Iorwerth referred to comments made by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys during his speech at the Aberystwyth rally.

As reported by The Standard, the First Minister quoted Rhys’s description of Wales as a “small but mighty nation”. The reference followed Rhys’s success at the Emmys earlier in September, where he was reported to have won two best lead actor awards.

Ap Iorwerth told the crowd: “Wales is showing a new sense of confidence like never, ever before.”

He then said: “I will use and quote the words of Matthew Rhys, too – our small and mighty nation, he called it.”

The First Minister added: “Well, this small and mighty nation is ready to shape its own future.”

The reference to Rhys connected the political campaign with Wales’s cultural profile. The actor’s international recognition provided ap Iorwerth with a recent example of Welsh achievement and visibility beyond the country.

The speech did not suggest that Rhys had endorsed the independence campaign. Instead, ap Iorwerth used the actor’s words about Wales to support his argument that the country had growing confidence in its national identity.

Who organised the Aberystwyth march?

The Aberystwyth march was jointly organised by YesCymru and All Under One Banner Cymru.

YesCymru announced that participants would gather at Castle Gardens from 11am, with the march scheduled to begin at 1pm. The organisation said the rally would follow at about 2pm and would include a stage, screen, speakers and music.

The event featured a number of speakers and contributors. The published programme listed Rhun ap Iorwerth, Wales Green Party representative Linda Rogers, Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Elwyn Vaughan, YesCymru chair Rob Hughes, Hywel Griffiths, and influencers Bethany Davies and Cerys Hutin.

The event was chaired by Siôn Jobbins, according to the YesCymru programme.

The Daily Post reported that campaigners travelled to Aberystwyth from different parts of Wales and gathered under banners calling for the country to have the right to decide its own future. The report also said the event included live music and speeches after the march.

The National reported that thousands of people marched through the streets and quoted a message from the First Minister that bringing Wales with the campaign was essential.

Why was the march politically significant?

The march took place during a period of increased political attention on Wales’s constitutional position.

It followed the May 2026 Senedd election, after which Plaid Cymru formed the Welsh Government. Rhun ap Iorwerth is both the leader of Plaid Cymru and the First Minister of Wales.

The BBC reported that the Aberystwyth event was the first occasion on which ap Iorwerth had attended a YesCymru march. The broadcaster said the event attracted an estimated 8,000 to 9,000 people according to organisers.

The march was also part of a series of independence demonstrations held across Wales since 2019. Earlier marches were reported in locations including Swansea, Wrexham, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhyl and Barry.

The event therefore combined a long-running campaign for independence with the presence of the leader of the Welsh Government. That gave the march a higher political profile than previous demonstrations, although attendance at a campaign event does not itself represent a formal change in Wales’s constitutional status.

The rally also highlighted the distinction between independence campaign activity and the legal process required to change the relationship between Wales and the United Kingdom. The speeches focused on political demands, public support and future constitutional choices rather than announcing an immediate constitutional change.

What did campaigners say about Wales’s future?

Campaign organisers presented the march as a demonstration of support for Wales having the right to decide its own future.

Ahead of the event, ap Iorwerth said people from different parts of Wales would come together under one banner. Nation.Cymru reported that he said Wales should have the right to determine its future and that supporters believed in the country’s potential as an independent nation.

The same report attributed to the First Minister a call for the Welsh Government to secure investment and greater powers from Westminster. He said those powers were needed to make a difference to people’s lives during the next stage of Wales’s constitutional journey.

The campaign’s language focused on self-determination, political equality and the ability of Welsh institutions to make decisions affecting the country.

Ap Iorwerth’s reference to “equality with Scotland” also reflected differences in the constitutional powers available to the devolved administrations. The statement did not set out a detailed timetable for independence, but it identified greater equality with Scotland as the immediate political objective described at the rally.

What is the wider public debate about independence?

The Aberystwyth rally demonstrated visible support for Welsh independence, but the size of the march should not be treated as a measurement of the views of the entire Welsh population.

A report by the Cambrian News noted that more than two-thirds of people did not support independence in the context of a wider discussion about whether Wales was ready to become an independent country.

That distinction is important because campaign rallies attract people who are already engaged with a particular cause. Attendance can show the organisational strength and public visibility of a movement, but it cannot by itself establish majority public support.

The independence debate includes questions about Wales’s economic position, the powers of the Senedd, public services, funding arrangements and the future relationship between Wales and Westminster. Supporters argue that Wales should have greater control over decisions affecting its people. Opponents and undecided voters may focus on the economic, administrative and constitutional consequences of independence.

The Aberystwyth speeches addressed the political direction of the campaign but did not resolve those wider questions.

What happens next after the rally?

The immediate effect of the event is likely to be increased attention on Welsh constitutional politics and on the position of the Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government.

Rhun ap Iorwerth’s appearance showed that independence is now being discussed directly by the serving First Minister at a major campaign event. His comments about equality with Scotland and greater powers from Westminster may lead to further debate about the powers currently held by the Senedd and the changes Plaid Cymru wants to pursue.

The rally also gives YesCymru and All Under One Banner Cymru an opportunity to demonstrate their organisational reach. The organisers’ estimate of 8,000 to 9,000 participants will be used by campaigners to argue that support for independence is growing, while opponents may point to the limits of rally attendance as evidence of wider public opinion.

No announcement at the event changed Wales’s constitutional status. Any future constitutional change would require political agreement and a process involving the Welsh public and the UK’s constitutional institutions.

What is the background to the Welsh independence movement?

Welsh independence marches have taken place in different parts of Wales since 2019, with campaigners using public demonstrations to promote the idea that Wales should become an independent country.

YesCymru has been one of the main organisations campaigning for Welsh independence. All Under One Banner Cymru has also supported marches and public events calling for greater Welsh self-government.

The Aberystwyth march followed the May 2026 Senedd election and was the first major independence march since Plaid Cymru formed the Welsh Government. It was scheduled to start from Castle Gardens at 1pm, with a rally at the same location later in the afternoon.

The campaign’s arguments have included demands for the right of the Welsh people to decide their constitutional future, increased powers for the Senedd and changes to Wales’s relationship with Westminster.

Rhun ap Iorwerth’s role gave the 2026 rally particular importance. As First Minister and Plaid Cymru leader, he combined responsibility for the Welsh Government with leadership of a party that supports further constitutional change.

How could the rally affect people in Wales?

The development could affect people in Wales mainly by increasing political attention on devolution, public investment and the country’s constitutional future.

For supporters of independence, the First Minister’s participation may strengthen the campaign’s visibility and encourage further public events. For voters who are undecided, the rally may prompt greater interest in the practical questions surrounding independence, including funding, public services, taxation, trade and the powers of Welsh institutions.

The event may also increase pressure on the Welsh Government to explain what “equality with Scotland” would mean in practice. Residents may expect clearer proposals on the powers Wales should seek from Westminster before any decision about full independence is considered.

For the wider Welsh public, the rally is unlikely to produce an immediate constitutional change. Its more direct impact will be political: it may shape debate, influence party positions and encourage voters to examine how Wales is governed and what further powers should be available to the Senedd.